Props to Gahr’s Nielsen

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No, he didn’t look like a state-leading passer, and his team came up short in its measuring-stick game, but Corey Nielsen gets props for handling himself with aplomb.

After getting knocked around and shut down by Dominguez (4-2, 1-0), the No. 17 team in The Times’ rankings, in a 49-0 beating in a San Gabriel Valley League opener Friday night at Dominguez, Nielsen got up, dusted himself off and gave credit where it was due after he finished with a quiet 181 yards on 13-of-23 passing with no touchdowns and no interceptions. See this take on the game at the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

‘They were a lot bigger than us. They had a pretty good rush, and we weren’t ready for that, so that was the big thing,’ Nielsen said. ‘We came in and thought we were going to beat these guys, but the cards didn’t dictate that.’

As a result, the Gladiators (4-2, 0-1), ranked No. 10 in the Southern Section Western Division coaches’ poll coming into the game, may have to scale back what had been some high hopes of competing for the San Gabriel Valley League title after Gahr (5-5, 1-4) finished tied for last with Paramount (2-8, 1-4) in the standings last season behind defending league and Western Division champion Dominguez.

‘We’ve just got to get back to the drawing board,’ Nielsen said. ‘Obviously, we’re not going to win league this year if they go all the way. Now we’ve just got to keep fighting.’

- Lauren Peterson